By: Anastasia Mayer,

Every few months during the school year, students bring home progress reports that give parents a snapshot of their academic performance. These reports often serve as the main way parents and students gauge not just grades but work ethic, curriculum mastery, and overall classroom success. It frequently follows suit that students displaying areas for improvement seek tutoring and extra help both in and out of the class environment; meanwhile, students with impressive progress reports keep doing what they’re doing because “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” While this system often works for the regular subject areas and can vastly improve classroom success, it may lead students and parents into a false sense of security later on. When standardized tests become part of the equation, they change the playing field entirely.

It is important to recognize and understand the elements of major standardized exams that separate them from your everyday class exams. Tests created for the classroom are meant to test what the students have already learned, and they are summative assessments of skills and concepts covered in the class. However, standardized tests are categorized into two main groups: achievement and aptitude tests. Achievement tests are the most similar to the classroom assessments that parents and students are used to seeing. These tests measure knowledge and skills in specific subject areas, such as mathematics, English, science, etc. Examples include AP tests, the SAT subject tests (as opposed to the SAT itself), the ACT, the GRE, and the ITBS test.

Meanwhile, aptitude tests measure general knowledge, learning skills, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. Common aptitude tests are the TACHS exam, the SHSAT, the PSAT, and the SAT. A pattern you may have noticed in these examples is that all of these aptitude exams are used as high school and college entrance exams. This implies specialized high schools, catholic schools, and colleges are not only looking at students’ levels of achievement but also at the predictions these tests are making about their overall potential to advance and learn. Simply put, good grades aren’t enough.

Generally, students with good grades tend to perform better on standardized exams, but realistically, that is not always the case. Aptitude exams like the SHSAT typically test students on topics not yet covered in their classes, mainly because the SHSAT can contain questions for grades 2-3 levels higher than those being tested. Even straight-A students cannot be expected to know the answers to questions about things they were never taught. So, how do parents and students overcome this obstacle and give students their best chance at success? The same way students who don’t achieve highly do – tutoring.

Tutoring for aptitude exams works differently than tutoring for achievement exams. Since achievement tests measure knowledge and skills, the tutoring for these exams focuses on practicing the relevant skills. With aptitude tests, students must be taught problem-solving and logical reasoning skills on top of subject knowledge. In addition, the timed element of these exams adds extra pressure that can interfere with students’ chances for success if they do not practice. Aptitude test tutoring preps students for these exams by showing them what to expect on test day, equipping them with the skill-based knowledge needed to accurately answer the numerous questions, and providing them with tips and helpful hints to immediately rule out the trick answers meant to slow them down. By the time students get to the test, they are mentally prepared for the long-winded marathon, and their brains are trained to find the right answers faster than their peers who did not seek tutoring.

About the Author:

I am a passionate educator with a deep commitment to nurturing a lifelong love of learning in my students. My academic journey began at a NYC Specialized High School, where I laid the foundation for my strong academic pursuits. I further developed my skills and knowledge at the College of Staten Island, where I earned my degree through the prestigious Macaulay Honors Program. During my time there, I was honored to receive the College of Staten Island’s English Department Literature Award for Outstanding Work in the Major, along with several other prestigious recognitions, including the Student Government Summit Award, the Rising Star Award, the Andrew J. Lanza Good Citizen Award, and the Thomas P. DiNapoli New York Staten Comptroller Achievement Award.

In addition to my academic achievements, I have dedicated myself to tutoring students at “Tutoring by Christine,” where I specialize in preparing students for the SHSAT and Tachs exams, as well as offering reading instruction for students in grades 4-12. I am passionate about providing personalized, effective tutoring that helps students not only succeed but also enjoy the process of learning. Whether it’s improving reading comprehension, writing skills, or test-taking strategies, my goal is to help each student reach their full potential and discover the joy of learning.

Several months ago, the call went out from Harvard: They needed every former admissions officer possibly available to help read an overwhelming flood of applications. The reason? There seems to be only one reason for anything these days: COVID-19.

Across the nation, and even in Cambridge, Mass., the past school year had been pretty much of a disaster. Most colleges imposed regimes of dorm room quarantines and online-only classes. Many later changed their rules and protocols, often illogically. A few schools even took the drastic step of offering families rebates, however small, in consideration of what now passes for “the college experience.”

But there was hope that something closer to normal would be possible for the 2021-2022 school year. And that meant selecting a new freshman class. Deans at most of the top U.S. schools then made a change to their admissions procedures that had an outsized impact: They eliminated the need for high school students to submit standardized test scores from the often-dreaded SAT or ACT. College applications soared.

MIT had a 66 percent increase in the number of applications, and Harvard received more than 57,000 submissions, an increase of 42 percent. The University of Pennsylvania saw its largest applicant pool ever — 56,333, a 34 percent increase over the previous year — and Brown received more than 46,000 applications, an increase of 27 percent. Even New York University, whose downtown Manhattan location is overwhelmed by boarded-up, out-of-business storefronts, received more than 100,000 applications, up 20 percent from the year before. (NYU reports its numbers include applications for its Abu Dhabi and Shanghai campuses.) One outlier was the New York State University system, which reported a 20 percent drop in applications.

Colleges traditionally publish the test scores of the previous year’s admitted class. Although they don’t acknowledge it, most selective schools also use an unofficial cutoff score of 1400 on the SAT or 34 on the ACT. Potential applicants thus know if their scores are above the mean and whether they have a reasonable chance of admission. (The score ranges, and unofficial requirements for minorities and recruited athletes may be different, as a recent lawsuit against Harvard claimed. A federal judge ruled in 2019 that Harvard did not discriminate against Asian American students in its admissions, but the case may be headed to the Supreme Court.)

This year, students who had solid academic records and interesting extracurricular activities, but didn’t score above the unofficial test-score cutoff, decided to submit applications to their dream or “reach” schools, since they didn’t have to submit test scores. Some may have been encouraged by overly optimistic parents who see the genius and wonderfulness in their kids and hoped an admissions office would too. But most kids are more realistic; they took a lottery-like approach: “Hey, you never know…”

Though  COVID-19 has turned out to be a great stimulus to the college admissions business, in the absence of standardized test scores, admissions officers have had to work harder to determine whether students have the academic chops to survive selective colleges’ rigor. (High school grades are notoriously inflated, and assessing the quality of a high school’s curriculum and grading policy is a time-consuming job.) Standardized tests provide both a common denominator and an easy triage tool to streamline the admissions process. Without them, every application must be read more closely; hence, the call for retired admissions officers to return as application readers.

As applications soared, so did selectivity. Harvard’s overall admission rate was just 3.4 percent; Princeton’s, 4 percent; Yale’s, 4.6 percent; Brown’s, 5.4 percent; and the University of Pennsylvania’s, 5.7 percent. These are some of the lowest acceptance rates ever reported by the schools. Of course, those acceptance rates are a bit misleading since they don’t break out favored students — recruited athletes, “development prospects” (children of large donors), and others who serve some special niche desired by the schools. So kids who are part of the regular pool of applicants had an even worse chance of getting in. At Brown, the regular-decision acceptance rate was just 3.5 percent.

On the surface, the shift to test-optional might seem to be a commonsense accommodation to the exigencies of the pandemic. But cynics see something far more cunning: By not requiring the one metric that was a common denominator among all students, colleges may be less susceptible to charges of discrimination. Remember, in the lawsuit against Harvard by Asian American students, the data about disparities in SAT scores among racial groups was the most damning evidence. Eliminating standardized tests does away with potentially incriminating data.

In their news releases announcing their recent admissions statistics, colleges boast about the diversity of their newly admitted class. Princeton says that 68 percent are “U.S. citizens or permanent residents who self-identify as people of color” and 22 percent will be first-generation college students. Harvard says its entering class will be 20.7 percent first-gen students, 18 percent Black, and 13 percent Latinx (27 percent will be Asian-American). At Brown, 55 percent self-identify as people of color, and 17 percent will be first-gen.

There is nothing wrong with these colleges wanting to open up their ivy-covered campuses to students whose families may not have attended college, those who come from poor backgrounds, or those who have overcome exceptional challenges. Demonstrated grit should be one of the most important criteria in college admissions.

• US Olympic pole vaulter tests COVID-19 positive

But not requiring standardized test scores does a disservice to everyone. Students who really have very little chance of getting into a highly selective school will waste time, money and emotional energy thinking they have a shot. It’s equally unfair to highly qualified students: By not requiring and publishing the average tests scores of those admitted, such students are forced to compete on a playing field that is not only not level, but obscured in fog.

College admissions may never be truly fair, but the process doesn’t need to be quite so calculatedly impenetrable. With the elimination of standardized tests, admissions policies have become more subjective and less transparent — in short, less fair. We expect the young people applying to college to behave honorably. Should we not expect the same of the schools that are judging them for an education?

Steve Cohen is an attorney at Pollock Cohen LLP and a co-author of “Getting In!,” a guide to college admissions and financial aid first published in 1983.

WHERE TO START: Parents usually spearhead this process. It starts with knowing what accommodations are currently in place, what accommodations are being actively used in school and what will be needed on these tests.

Note: If the student does not have an IEP/504 Plan in place or has one that is no longer in place, then there will be significant hurdles in getting SAT-ACT accommodations.

There are different types of testing accommodations:

• Extended test time – this is the most common type of accommodation given. It is typically time and a half, other forms include double or triple time
• Large type (18 point) test booklet, alternate answer sheets that do not require student to bubble in the responses
• Alternate test formats: audio DVDs or a reader or scribe

The process of applying for accommodation(s) involves many forms, supporting documentation from school/ doctors and testing information etc. Since SAT and ACT are two separate organizations, the application for accommodations is also separate. You must apply to them individually.

• Collegeboard (administers SAT/ AP and PSAT) – this is somewhat easier to apply for and in many cases school counselors proactively apply for the accommodations as students take their 10th grade PSATs. Once granted, it is a blanket approval that will cover all future AP, SAT and PSAT testing.
• ACT accommodations requires student to be registered for an actual test date before the process can begin. Accommodations are granted for a test day. This typically becomes the biggest hurdle for students and parents when considering ACT accommodations. It however does not mean that families will have to go through the process again and again. Once granted, accommodations roll over.

WHEN DO YOU START?: Start early!! Even though Collegeboard and ACT have streamlined this process significantly over the past few years, it can still become iterative. You don’t want to be surprised and run out of time. Give yourself room to reapply/contest if the accommodations are denied. Reasonably speaking, plan on 12 -16 weeks before your set SAT/ACT test date. This will give you the time to get your paperwork together, follow-up questions/clarifications that Collegeboard or ACT might have and wait for approval.

If you do not have active IEP/504 Plan or need updated testing, then you may need additional time.

Timeline for applying for accommodation(s) will also depend on when accommodation is needed : PSAT, AP, SAT Subject Test etc. Since many students take these tests as early as their sophomore year, this process may begin as early as 10th grade.

Collegeboard and ACT have their specific requirements and forms. More information is available on www.collegeboard.com or www.act.org but generally speaking they will need:

• A documented disability
• If the student has a current IEP or Section 504 plan currently in place
• Kind of testing accommodations the student currently gets at the school
• Follow-up Psych evaluation

When applying for the ACT accommodations, know the difference between National Testing vs Special Testing

Temporary Disability – Collegeboard explicitly states that it does not encourage students to seek accommodations for temporary medical or physical condition.…so broken arm or sports concussion will not be good enough reasons.

Even though the process of applying for accommodations is arduous, it is an important factor in making sure that students with disabilities have a level playing field when it comes to taking these tests.

WHAT NOT TO WORRY ABOUT: Many students deny themselves the opportunity to take these tests with accommodations because they are apprehensive of the optics amongst their peer group or their prospective colleges. Please note that privacy rules prevent colleges from knowing about student disabilities (and hence testing accommodations) unless they are listed on the college application by the student candidate themselves.

Test Optional in college admissions is not a new movement, but it has certainly increased in intensity as a result of the pandemic and even before. In 2020 widespread cancelations of ACT and SAT test dates throughout the country forced even colleges who highly value and desire ACT-SAT scores as part of their admission decision to abandon this requirement for the class of 2021 and most are extending this to the class of 2022 at the time I’m writing this blog.

Test OPTIONAL means just that – it is the student’s option to submit scores or not. Keep in mind that many parts of the college application process are “optional”: honors, extracurricular activities, pursuing rigorous coursework, interviews, and sometimes even recommendation letters and some essays. However, most students still submit these optional items, especially if they are applying to competitive colleges.

Test optional is not test blind. Test blind is when a college will not look at your test scores – even if you send them – regardless of how well you scored. Test scores have no bearing on getting into these schools. Out of the 3500+ colleges in the US, fewer than 75 are test blind and most on the list admit the vast majority of their applicants.

Should You Test

The question isn’t should you test. The question is should you submit test scores. More on that below.

YES – everyone should test and prep for those tests so they have the maximum scores for their ability.

George Washington University, which has embraced test optional since 2015, encourages all students to test before deciding whether to submit scores. Carol Lee Conchar, Associate Director for Regional Programs at GW, explained in a 2020 Covid related webinar, students “should take the test for…experience…and to see how well you perform” because having a score “in your back pocket” is valuable.

Georgia Tech’s Director of Undergraduate Admission, Rick Clark, has a fantastic analogy for deciding whether to test (and submit). He describes the admissions approach as a “stool” with different legs, including GPA, course rigor, extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation: “If you choose not to have some of that support on the testing leg, we’re just going to look a little closer and put more weight on the rest of the stool.” He says students should ask themselves, “Do you want some of the weight on testing, or do you want it removed from that?”

Bottom-line – if you don’t have scores, the admissions team is going to take a closer look at your other factors.

Which Colleges are Test Optional

Nearly every college was Test Optional in 2020-21 for the graduating class of 2021. This was to even the playing field for students unable to test due to Covid and other reasons. While students had the option to test and submit, according to a study ACT commissioned by an independent agency, EY-Parthenon, testing was only down 20-30% in 2020.

In my own home state of Ohio where in late winter all juniors take the ACT or SAT, as decided by their home school district, the tests were given both in 2020 and 2021. This made schools like The Ohio State University, our flagship institution who heavily relies on test scores as part of the admission decision, to be reluctant to move to test optional. In fact, they were very late to the test optional dance and didn’t move to test optional until June 22, 2020 when most colleges had made the move in April or May. While OSU is keeping test optional for one more year for the class of 2022, they make it quite clear on their website that their strong preference is to have test scores from students.

OSU: “We believe that standardized test scores provide useful information and predictive value about a student’s potential for success at Ohio State.”

There are also some exceptions to test optional including all Florida public universities as well as by intended major and certain demographic criteria. As always, check directly with each college for policies and exceptions which may relate to you.

Does Submitting Scores Give An Advantage

With the class of 2021 application cycle now complete, we have data that indicates at some universities there was indeed an admission edge to those applying with ACT or SAT scores. Overall they tend to be more selective institutions. Frankly, I feel if colleges really want to even the playing field for applicants, they should be forthcoming on data that indicates how they make their decisions. Few do.

Fordham University (NY) is one of the transparent schools. The data they released for admissions for the class of 2021 shows that while 64% of their 45,000 applicants chose to not submit test scores in the fall of 2020, the students who did apply with test scores were admitted at a greater rate. The increase rate of admission for those with tests was 28.7%.

Here is the breakdown of additional schools that are transparent enough to reveal the data that demonstrates test scores are an advantage at their institution.

• U of Pennsylvania (Early Decision): 62% of students submitted ACT or SAT scores and those students had an admission advantage of 94%
• Georgia Tech: 63% of students submitted scores and they had 121% better chance at admission
• University of Georgia test submitters had a 50% better chance of being admitted
• Emory University data shows an increased admission rate of 122% for those submitting scores

Schools like the University of Virginia and Georgetown held their cards a bit closer to the chest and released only limited data that does seem to indicate an advantage. We know at UVA 28% of the admitted class didn’t submit test scores, but 72% of those admitted did. When I personally reached out directly to admissions for further data to calculate the actual admission advantage, they simply referred me back to the original data that lacked full transparency. During the Early Decision cycle at Georgetown, 93% of admitted students had submitted scores.

Read Between the Lines

While nearly every university will be test optional for the class of 2022, gather the following information to try to discern how the school truly feels about your option to submit scores.

A couple of examples that were recently in the news:

Dartmouth Dean of Admissions:

“Mr. Coffin says he is conflicted about going test-optional. Before the pandemic Dartmouth considered standardized test scores to be among the most important information alongside grade point average, essays and class rank. Seeing strong scores helps his team feel more confident that admitted students could cut it at the Ivy League institution. “It becomes a moral question,” he said. “I don’t want to admit someone who is going to struggle.” (source: Wall Street Journal)

Princeton Dean of Admissions:

“We still see standardized testing as one important piece of a holistic process. It’s not the only piece, but it can be very helpful to us to help predict how students will thrive here academically,” says Karen Richardson. The piece adds that Princeton will not be making test-optional policies permanent. (source: The Daily Princetonian)

Sources to determine who wants test scores: 

• Was the school an early or late adopter of test optional? Most late adopters were hanging on to hoping for scores because they find them useful
• Read the school’s official test optional policy and look for phrases that indicate they prefer scores (such as the OSU example above), find scores useful and/or say this is a very temporary test optional policy only due to Covid
• Look for data from the class of 2021 admissions that would indicate favor for those submitting scores

Next Steps

Now that you understand the importance of testing, the first step is to determine ACT or SAT. In the absence of pre-ACT, PSAT, or actual ACT and SAT scores, LEAP offers free diagnostic tests for both to determine your best fit.

Take Alex for example. Alex took the pre-ACT in 10th grade then the actual ACT in late fall of his junior year. He’s results didn’t match up with his GPA nor what he, and we, believed to be his best. Instead of chugging away at ACT prep, we hit pause and gave him a diagnostic SAT (an actual retired SAT). His SAT score was an equivalent of an ACT 23; he had only scored a 21 on his ACT. Alex switched gears registering for the March SAT and started 1:1 individualized tutoring in January. When his SAT scores came in, he was at the 83rd percentile when his ACT had been at the 50th percentile.

Know your test of strength and plan for it.

Some students should test as early as summer after their 10th-grade year, while others should wait until the winter or spring of 11th grade. Learn which testing timeline applies to you on the LEAP blog. 

Test Prep

You should have a plan in place 8 to 10 weeks before your test prep and your test prep will likely start anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks ahead of your test date. Don’t wait to get your customized prep plan as LEAP prep is so incredibly effective that we fill to capacity. Options to get your suggested prescriptive plan for improvement:

• Attend a free ACT-SAT Planning Webinar
• Schedule a 20 minute call with our ACT-SAT Director, Sheri Elmore
• Submit your data for review and have a plan emailed to you

We have options galore! Online or in-person. Group or individual. ACT or SAT. And even a do-it-yourself called Perfect Practice.

Registration & Test Day

While registration closes about one month prior to the test date, you’ll want to register early to secure a spot at your high school or the closest location to it. Who wants to drive across town on unfamiliar roads at 7 am on a Saturday? Instead you want to go in prepped, rested, cool, calm and confident. Registration is housed on the testing agency’s site: ACT and SAT.

Generally, although there are a few exceptions, you can expect your results to appear in your online account approximately 10 to 14 days after you test. Once you have your results it’s time to figure out if you are finished testing or should retest for further improvement.

Final Decisions

Once you are finished testing, take each college case by case on whether you’ll apply test optional or not and put your best foot forward with your application.

Lisa Marker Robbins

It seems like from grade school to college, today’s students can barely find time to take a breath of fresh air and smell the roses. College students in particular find themselves completely engrossed in campus life, from classes and exams to the requisite parties, and they may feel like they have no time for themselves. The intense rhythm of college activities can be relentless; as a result, many students suffer from stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation. This can have a negative impact on their health, grades, relationships and joie de vivre.

For this reason, more and more colleges and universities  as well as high schools, recognizing the positive impact on their students’ well-being, are offering dedicated meditation spaces to help students destress and replenish.

Top 5 benefits of student meditation

1. Decreased stress

A reasonable amount of stress is healthy – it prompts us into action and helps us achieve our goals. Too much stress, on the other hand, is extremely unhealthy. Most students have to deal with an assortment of stressful situations: assignments, tests, admissions exams, co-curricular activities and social pressures are all part of the college experience.

Scientific evidence has shown that mindfulness meditation improves our ability to cope with stress. A regular practice – even a few minutes once or twice a day – gives our batteries time to recharge. Those who build a meditation practice and stick with it develop the inner resources they need to find that place of serenity and attentiveness when they need it most.

2. Improved concentration

Meditation also helps improve concentration – a top priority for any student. Through guided meditation for focus, we train in placing the attention on the present moment. When we begin meditating, one of the first methods we learn is how to settle our attention on the breath. This disciplines the mind to focus on a single activity at a time. It actually takes a lot of willpower to set the mental clutter and chit-chat aside and concentrate on the here and now. Research has found a compelling link between regular meditation sessions and enhanced attention spans.

3. Emotional wellbeing

Meditation practice has also been shown to promote creativity, improve happiness levels and foster peace of mind. These are all crucial facets of emotional health. Tokpa Korlo, a sobriety activist and meditation instructor, teaches that mindfulness helps us overcome the fear of now. By acknowledging what we presently feel and working with it directly, we develop a more positive mindset. Exam meditation, for instance, helps students overcome their fear of disappointing results so they can develop a more positive attitude towards the exam process here and now.

4. Creativity

Confident minds also enjoy the challenge of finding inventive solutions to problems and puzzles. Good professors generally appreciate students who are willing to think outside the box. Meditation has been shown to bolster creativity and give inquisitive minds free rein to innovate.

5. Better sleep

There is conclusive evidence that mindfulness meditation promotes quality sleep and is an effective treatment for insomnia. For students, it’s often difficult to find time to sleep. When they do finally turn in, their minds are so busy that they find themselves ruminating about the next paper or exam instead of falling asleep. Once again mindfulness comes to the rescue! Just a few minutes of regular practice can help train body and mind to disconnect from the busy-ness and pressures of college life. Research has shown that regular meditation can be a more effective remedy to sleeplessness than medication.

Meditation vs. substance abuse

Addiction has become the new reality in learning institutions worldwide. It’s the elephant in the room that doesn’t often get the attention it deserves. Addictive behavior is caused by an assortment of social and psychological triggers that include, but are not limited to, stress, peer pressure, relational conflicts, a need to escape, the absence of healthy coping mechanisms and the search for meaning. Most studies and programs – such as the University of Virginia’s Mindfulness-Based Relapse Prevention – have focused on the use of mindfulness to help prevent backsliding into addiction, which is easier to quantify than addiction prevention itself. Many experts believe that meditation exercises can also go a long way in heading substance abuse off at the pass. For more information on a path to recovery, see Tokpa Korlo’s program on Journey from Addiction to Meditation.

Mindworks provides essential and extensive training in meditation practice and life coaching. Our international team of meditation experts is comprised of highly accomplished meditators, scholars, psychologists, and professionals dedicated to helping people create lasting positive change. Learn more about our awesome Mind Trainers here. Mindworks is everything meditation. We offer meditation courses, articles, and a robust free meditation app. Mindworks is a startup non-profit 501c3. Subscription contributions enable us to bring more accessible, authentic meditation guidance to our users worldwide.

BY COURTENAY SMITH
FEB. 07, 2020
AGES: 4-8

Hearing your child read words aloud for the first time is a lot like watching a baby take their first steps. There is the thrill of the milestone balanced by the knowledge that there’s still a long road ahead. 

Thankfully, there are plenty of first reader books and early reading titles that have been created to meet newly independent readers (typically kids in kindergarten through 2nd grade) right at their level, with easy-to-follow plots, simple vocabulary, and lots of sight words.

The most important thing you can do to support your early reader is to help them love reading, says Katie Carella, a former teacher and executive editor at Scholastic who oversees the Acorn and Branches book series for early readers.

“When I was teaching, that moment where I saw kids light up about a book was when I knew I’d made a difference,” says Carella. “If you miss that window in the first, second, or third grade, kids go on to say, ‘I’m not a reader’ and ‘I don’t like reading.'”

Here is a varied list of early reader books, with input from Carella, that will get your growing bookworm saying, “I love to read!”

For Kids Who Just Started to Read: Try a Simple Series

The books in the Acorn line provide kids with an entertaining window into topics they care about. They grow reading confidence with short chapters, each of which can be read as a stand-alone story. Each book has a Grade 1 Scholastic reading level, but is designed to appeal to kids in kindergarten through second grade.

“As a teacher, it was hard to find fresh and engaging stories for this age group,” says Carella, who launched the Acorn line. “I wanted to create books that could really light a fire in kids.” 

The Acorn line includes the laugh-out-loud A Crabby Book: Hello, Crabby, about a cranky crab who drives his friends crazy by refusing to get cheered up, and Unicorn and Yeti, a magical exploration of friendship. There’s also Dragon #2: Dragon’s Fat Cat, which explores some hilarious mishaps — a trademark of author Dav Pilkey, of Dog Man fame. 

by Annie Brookman-Byrne
February 10, 2020

Anxiety about maths is linked to lower maths scores. Yet recent evidence shows that the majority of children who have high maths anxiety are not poor performers in maths. Teachers and parents have a role to play in reducing maths anxiety and encouraging greater uptake of maths.

Maths is often considered a particularly difficult subject, with many children and adults reporting feelings of maths anxiety. There is ample evidence of a link between anxiety about maths and maths performance; those with greater maths anxiety tend to have poorer test scores in maths. It’s not clear whether anxiety or poor performance comes first, but it’s likely that it’s a circular relationship: anxiety about maths leads to avoidance of maths practice, with a negative effect on grades, which in turn affects anxiety, and so on.

Recently, a large study showed that the link between maths anxiety and maths performance is not as straightforward as we might think. It is not only the poorest maths performers who have anxiety about the subject – the study found that 77% of children with high maths anxiety actually achieved normal to high grades in maths. This is concerning because it means that children are feeling anxious about their maths performance when they needn’t.

Maths anxiety is consistently found to be more prevalent in girls than in boys, even though there are minimal or no gender differences in maths performance. This may be due to stereotype threat, whereby girls are aware of the stereotype that boys are better at maths, increasing feelings of anxiety. This stereotype might be reinforced by parents or teachers who expect boys to find maths easier.

There may also be negative knock-on effects of maths anxiety in those with normal or high maths performance. Children might avoid studying maths when it is actually a strength of theirs, not developing their maths skills as much as they could. Students are compelled to narrow their subjects through secondary school. They might drop maths, choosing their subjects based on erroneous anxiety that could potentially be alleviated, rather than based on aptitude. Students are potentially closing the door to a future career that requires maths understanding or qualifications.

Can maths anxiety be remediated?

Reducing maths anxiety is a challenge, particularly since the view that maths is hard is so ingrained in many Western countries. An obvious first step is for teachers and parents to be careful not to inadvertently encourage anxiety about maths, avoiding comments like, “I’ve always hated maths”, and “I’m just no good at maths”. Teachers and parents could also provide greater maths support during the transition from primary to secondary school, when anxiety about maths can appear because the work seems harder.

“A more positive attitude towards maths from teachers and parents may help students feel less anxious, ultimately encouraging better performance and the uptake of maths and maths-related careers.”

So far there is little evidence for treatment for maths anxiety, although there are some promising potential strategies. One such strategy is writing about worries before taking a test, which has shown some success. Another approach is to reduce pressure in the classroom during maths, such as removing time limits during tests. Initial research suggests that electrical brain stimulation may also help to alleviate some symptoms of maths anxiety. More research is needed to find out the best ways of reducing and preventing anxiety in maths.

Maths anxiety is clearly a barrier to maths for many students who are actually in the normal or high range of performance. A more positive attitude towards maths from teachers and parents may help students feel less anxious, ultimately encouraging better performance and the uptake of maths and maths-related careers.

Allocate Good Periods of Time

Avid readers can pick up a book at any time of day under any circumstance and start reading. But that’s a rare talent that takes development. Having the time to really get into some reading requires a proper reading session. You should try and put aside a ‘reading hour’ amongst all the other activities in your child’s life, so that they have a scheduled routine and so they can clear their mind of anything else that could otherwise preoccupy them.

Read with Your Child

Children like to feel included by adults in things that seem grown-up. “It’s inspiring for a child to see that their mom or dad are as enthusiastic about the act of reading. Make that even more strongly felt by reading with them to create that sense of a shared activity that they can be excited about,” advises Lois Weiss, teacher at Writinity and LastMinuteWriting. You know when the child has their toy steering wheel next to the parent driving, or their little doll next to the parent holding the baby sibling? That’s the effect that you should be going for.

Create a Little Reading Room

It doesn’t have to be a whole room; it can be more like a reading nook. But the point is to allocate some designated space where all that is done is reading. “Having a reading space is a really big psychological boost to how your child thinks of reading and it’s likely to increase focus if they know that all they do in the space is reading,” says Harry Whitehouse, tech educator at DraftBeyond and ResearchPapersUK. Make sure the space is nicely designed, cozy and a pleasure to be in. This is another positive association that is very much worth investing in.

Don’t Push Too Hard

Reading can easily become a chore for your child if you aren’t careful. Pushing them to do too much reading, or to try and read at a level that is beyond them, is a really bad idea and will cause a lot of issues in the long run. Again, it’s about associations. Reading should be a joy, not a chore and being too insistent about certain things can be really dangerous for your child’s appreciation of reading.

Read to Your Children

Reading aloud is great for a couple of reasons. One of the most compelling reasons is that you are able to get them to experience material above their reading level that will nevertheless interest and thrill them. The second reason it is particularly useful is that you can start to create a love of stories and a desire to seek out stories in your children, which can really help to inspire them to read more further down the line. It’s also quite simply a great bonding experience for parents and children. Connecting with your child through the act of reading will help reinforce the affection they have for it and will build positive memories that will encourage them as they grow.

Conclusion

Overall, reading is something which can be quite easily introduced to your child as a worthy pursuit. Hopefully this list will show you what you need to know how to begin to build those positive associations for your child and to get them to start wanting to read for their own enjoyment.

Ashley Halsey is a professional author working at LuckyAssignments and GumEssays, writing on all sorts of lifestyle topics across the country. A mother of two children, she enjoys travelling, reading and researching the topics that inform her writing.

Contributed by Anastasia Betts, VP Curriculum Planning and Design at Age of Learning

The U.S. is lagging behind in math literacy.

According to the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), American teens are well below standard proficiency. However, the breakdown in math literacy is occurring during early childhood, well before the teen years.

Research has shown that early development of math skills and knowledge is a strong predictor of later math achievement. According to recent data from the creators of ABCmouse, Age of Learning, nearly 70% of parents are incorrectly assuming their child is spending the necessary amount of time they need, in and out of school, engaged in math-based learning to be proficient. Moreover, most homes spend time focusing on helping very young children learn to read and write their numerals, while other types of math activities may provide more benefit.

The key to improving the home math environment for young children is to move beyond simple counting exercises. The ‘Four Cs’ is a strategy designed to help parents remember the different kinds of activities that are most useful to young children when learning about math.

The Four Cs stand for Converse, Count, Compare, Categorize, each of which are critical to the development of a young child’s mathematical knowledge. This strategy can improve the quality of parent-child math discussions, and through targeted conversation, help children develop the vocabulary needed for a solid mathematics foundation.

Converse

Talking to children about numerical concepts is crucial, as it helps to build not only their math vocabulary but also their knowledge of and curiosity about math concepts.

Conversations should be centered around everyday activities that relate to the child’s lived experiences (e.g., skipping rope, taking a walk in the park, doing activities around the house), as children are likely to be more engaged and connect more with these activities rather than more formal activities (e.g., workbooks, etc.).

Use questions to drive the conversation and encourage your child’s use of strategies for critical thinking. It’s relatively easy for parents to introduce math conversations into daily activities with their children. Asking how many, which has more or less, which is taller, shorter, or bigger, which items ‘go together’ or belong in the same group, are all great conversation starters. Perhaps most importantly, parents should ask children why they think something is true, or how can you show that this is true?

For example, when comparing different groups of items, parents can ask how do you know this group has more than that group? How can you show that your idea is true?

Count

Research continues to show that a wide variety of counting experiences are vital to the development of children’s strong number sense. Counting means more than just saying the number sequence, as it can refer to reciting the count sequence, counting the total number of objects in a pile, counting out a certain number of items from a pile, or counting on a few more to an existing group of items. It can also mean counting forward and backward from a given number.

It’s important for parents and caregivers to develop an awareness of the different types of counting experiences they can share with their children, and look for opportunities to do more than just recite or recognize numbers (e.g., counting apples to buy from the grocery store, sharing out 10 grapes each for lunch, etc.).

Compare

Comparing is an important skill that underpins much of mathematics and other sciences as well. Helping young children realize that there are many attributes that can be observed and compared helps prepare them for more sophisticated math concepts that will come later. Parents should invite children to think about the characteristics that different objects possess, such as color, shape, position, and more (e.g., this one is darker blue, this one is lighter blue; this one has more, this one has less; this one has four sides, that one has only three).

Quantity is also an attribute that children must come to understand and recognize, as it is a critical milestone in a young child’s mathematical foundation (e.g., who has more grapes? You or me? How do you know? Etc.).

One way to build and strengthen a child’s ability to compare is through the use of puzzles. Puzzles provide ideal opportunities to help children think critically about comparisons; as the child examines the puzzle pieces to see where they should be placed, children observe color, pattern, and shape. These early observations and comparisons prepare children for the critical thinking they will do later on in math and science.

Categorize

There are many opportunities in everyday activities for children to categorize and sort. Children are capable of organizing a bookshelf according to shape and size, organizing the pantry by food type, helping fold the laundry and sorting by clothing type, loading or unloading the dishwasher or dish rack, etc. Understanding the characteristics that make something belong (or not belong) to a group is an important part of their mathematical foundation (e.g., all of these shapes are rectangular, and all of these shapes are triangular, etc.).

There are so many rich mathematical experiences that parents and children can have together. The Four Cs provides a simple way to help build parent awareness of these kinds of activities. Using the Four Cs, parents can incorporate daily math experiences that move beyond simple rote counting to the more advanced early math experiences that lead to success in school mathematics and beyond.